Touts resell Ed Sheeran charity gig tickets for £5,000

Secondary ticketing site Viagogo has been accused of "moral repugnance" over the resale of tickets to an Ed Sheeran cancer charity gig.

The website is reportedly advertising seats for the concert, in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust, at the Royal Albert Hall concert next month at a hugely inflated price of up to £5,000.

"The only people who should profit from Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall are young people with cancer", said the charity in a statement on their website.

They added: "ID will be rigorously checked and anyone with tickets purchased on the secondary market will not be admitted."

However the Guardian reported that a statement on Viagogo's website reads "buyers of tickets for this event will be accompanied into the venue by the seller".

Ticket reform campaigners Fan Fair Alliance condemned the site: "Teenage Cancer Trust have gone to huge lengths and expense to prevent resale and profiteering of their tickets.

"To all intents and purposes they are non-transferable, with buyers needing to provide photo ID on the door.

"And yet, not only are Viagogo encouraging touts to sell these tickets at vastly inflated prices, none of which goes back to the charity, they attempt to circumvent the terms and conditions by advertising that the buyer will be accompanied into the venue by the seller.

"Leaving aside the moral repugnance of profiteering at the expense of teenage cancer sufferers, this appears a flagrant breach of consumer law and yet another reason why Government intervention is so desperately needed."

Musicians have hit out on the topic recently, with You Me At Six front-man Josh Franceschi and Stormzy criticising online ticket touts.

Last year Franceschi told MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport select committee - of which Adams is a member - that the future of live music depends on a clampdown on touts.

Viagogo have been contacted for comment.